Ex-election official sues Multnomah County

Layoff - Mary Shultz claims she was let go after questioning a
program reduction A former top elections official is suing
Multnomah County, saying she was wrongfully terminated after
raising concerns about a decision to scale back an outreach
program to help people with disabilities vote. Mary Shultz
served as assistant director of elections for the county from
2002 until February. She was told she was being laid off because
of budget cuts. Shultz had complained about cuts to a program
she led aimed at helping elderly, disabled or non-English
speakers to vote, including through outreach to care facilities,
hospitals and other sites. The program had been cited as
inefficient and overstaffed in an otherwise favorable county
audit of the Elections Division. The lawsuit, filed Friday in
Multnomah County Circuit Court, says Shultz was laid off in
retaliation for warning that the decision could put the county
out of compliance with the Help America Vote Act. The suit asks
for $1.5 million. County Attorney Agnes Sowle said the county
had not yet seen the lawsuit and declined to comment on pending
litigation. Richard Busse, who is representing Shultz, declined
to comment. The layoff caused a stir. Longtime Elections
Director John Kauffman was also forced out of his job hours
after he questioned County Chairman Ted Wheeler about the
decision to terminate Shultz. Some questioned the prudence of
heading into the highly anticipated May primary without the
county's two senior elections officials. The election,
however, ran smoothly.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Oregonian

%%deck%%Layoff - Mary Shultz claims she was let go after
questioning a program reduction

A former top elections official is suing Multnomah County,
saying she was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns
about a decision to scale back an outreach program to help
people with disabilities vote.

Mary Shultz served as assistant director of elections for
the county from 2002 until February. She was told she was
being laid off because of budget cuts.

Shultz had complained about cuts to a program she led aimed
at helping elderly, disabled or non-English speakers to
vote, including through outreach to care facilities,
hospitals and other sites. The program had been cited as
inefficient and overstaffed in an otherwise favorable county
audit of the Elections Division.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Multnomah County Circuit Court,
says Shultz was laid off in retaliation for warning that the
decision could put the county out of compliance with the
Help America Vote Act. The suit asks for $1.5 million.

County Attorney Agnes Sowle said the county had not yet seen
the lawsuit and declined to comment on pending litigation.
Richard Busse, who is representing Shultz, declined to
comment.

The layoff caused a stir. Longtime Elections Director John
Kauffman was also forced out of his job hours after he
questioned County Chairman Ted Wheeler about the decision to
terminate Shultz. Some questioned the prudence of heading
into the highly anticipated May primary without the
county's two senior elections officials. The election,
however, ran smoothly. %%enddeck%%

Ex-election official sues Multnomah County

Layoff - Mary Shultz claims she was let go after questioning a
program reduction A former top elections official is suing
Multnomah County, saying she was wrongfully terminated after
raising concerns about a decision to scale back an outreach
program to help people with disabilities vote. Mary Shultz
served as assistant director of elections for the county from
2002 until February. She was told she was being laid off because
of budget cuts. Shultz had complained about cuts to a program
she led aimed at helping elderly, disabled or non-English
speakers to vote, including through outreach to care facilities,
hospitals and other sites. The program had been cited as
inefficient and overstaffed in an otherwise favorable county
audit of the Elections Division. The lawsuit, filed Friday in
Multnomah County Circuit Court, says Shultz was laid off in
retaliation for warning that the decision could put the county
out of compliance with the Help America Vote Act. The suit asks
for $1.5 million. County Attorney Agnes Sowle said the county
had not yet seen the lawsuit and declined to comment on pending
litigation. Richard Busse, who is representing Shultz, declined
to comment. The layoff caused a stir. Longtime Elections
Director John Kauffman was also forced out of his job hours
after he questioned County Chairman Ted Wheeler about the
decision to terminate Shultz. Some questioned the prudence of
heading into the highly anticipated May primary without the
county's two senior elections officials. The election,
however, ran smoothly.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Oregonian

%%deck%%Layoff - Mary Shultz claims she was let go after
questioning a program reduction

A former top elections official is suing Multnomah County,
saying she was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns
about a decision to scale back an outreach program to help
people with disabilities vote.

Mary Shultz served as assistant director of elections for
the county from 2002 until February. She was told she was
being laid off because of budget cuts.

Shultz had complained about cuts to a program she led aimed
at helping elderly, disabled or non-English speakers to
vote, including through outreach to care facilities,
hospitals and other sites. The program had been cited as
inefficient and overstaffed in an otherwise favorable county
audit of the Elections Division.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Multnomah County Circuit Court,
says Shultz was laid off in retaliation for warning that the
decision could put the county out of compliance with the
Help America Vote Act. The suit asks for $1.5 million.

County Attorney Agnes Sowle said the county had not yet seen
the lawsuit and declined to comment on pending litigation.
Richard Busse, who is representing Shultz, declined to
comment.

The layoff caused a stir. Longtime Elections Director John
Kauffman was also forced out of his job hours after he
questioned County Chairman Ted Wheeler about the decision to
terminate Shultz. Some questioned the prudence of heading
into the highly anticipated May primary without the
county's two senior elections officials. The election,
however, ran smoothly. %%enddeck%%